Hamster Wheel Home Provides Offbeat Dual Living Spaces

Modern life is often compared to running on a hamster wheel: we do the same things over and over, but never seem to get anywhere. This was the subject of an architectural art installation called In Orbit. Two artists lived in the wheel-shaped exhibit for 10 full days – one on the inside and one on the outside.

Each side of the wheel had its own living space, including a wardrobe, bed, desk with laptop and chair, microwave, toilet, and sink. In order to get from one room of the “home” to another, the architectural artists Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder had to move in perfect unison in order to stay standing.

The 25-foot tall wheel is made of steel and wood. It was installed inside the Boiler Room, a site run by New York’s Pierogi Gallery. The artists only resided in the odd “home” for 10 days, but the wheel itself remained on display. When held up against the “tiny house” movement, the In Orbit house doesn’t seem entirely crazy. No one would want to live like this, of course, but this imaginative use of space and creative arrangement of furniture and amenities does exemplify the small living lifestyle.